In order to limit access to computers, early man came up with passwords. Oh, if he could only see what's become of them today! No longer do we have one user name/ID and one password, but we have MANY. Some we choose for ourselves, while other are assigned, with no choice allowed. So man next invented the sticky note to keep track of our user names and passwords. Yeah, great solution. Let everyone know what they are until the note disappears.
Well, in a recent hunt for a solution to this situation, more elegant than a Notepad file, I evaluated several programs, both shareware and freeware. One program stood out among the others, and its stood up well in actual use. Like most, it has some features I don't use and lack others I'd like, but being freeware, "The price is right".
Whisper 32 is a Microsoft Windows 95/98 and Windows NT password manager. It has the following features: Store all of your passwords in one file; Data files are encrypted using a robust public domain private-key encryption algorithm; Built-in password generator; Passwords may be set to expire at user-configurable intervals; Never type in passwords or user-names - use the Windows clipboard to transfer them; Automatic backups. You can set it up for multiple users - each user accesses his data with his name and password.
Each entry consists of a service name, user name, password, and large memo field. The main display consists of a menu, toolbar, and data display. There are extensive options, including data displayed and sort order. I've set up the program with a shortcut icon on the Launch Bar, so when I'm browsing the net and need a name/password, I just click on the icon, enter my master password, highlight the service name, click the Copy toolbar icon, and now that password's in the Clipboard.
You can download Whisper 32 from our web site, or from http://ivory.simplenet.com/free.html.
A subscriber asks "When I generate messages, I like to print them first. Since I installed Outlook Express, I can no longer do this. When I click File, there's no Print command available. Is there a problem with my installation?"
There's no problem with the installation. You just can't print a message from the Compose Message window. However, you can choose Send Later to put the message into the Outbox. Then you can go to the Outbox, open the message and print it before you connect and send the message. Alternatively, you can send the message, open it in the Sent box, and print it.
A subscriber has a damaged Inbox.idx file. He asks if there's a way to repair the file.
The best (and maybe the only) way to handle this is to use Find to locate the Inbox.idx file (unless you're sure you know where it's located). Rename the file to something like Index.old. Now start Internet Mail. You'll get a message telling you that the file is being rebuilt. This should solve your problem.
After you determine that all is well, delete Inbox.old. There's no point in leaving useless files on your hard disk.
When you read a message in the Internet Mail preview pane, you might like to copy the sender's address so you can paste it into another document. The problem is that the address isn't ordinarily visible.
Usually, however, if you click Reply to Author, the sender's address will appear in the To entry box. Right-click the address and choose Copy. After you make the copy, you can choose File, Close to close the Reply to Author window.
Many people still like to use ASCII characters to draw pictures in their e-mail. You know, you see those pictures made up of numerous X's, I's, etc. These things were cool in their day. The problem is, their day is over. ASCII pictures don't display correctly when the viewer is using proportional fonts--and a huge number of people (perhaps most) are using proportional fonts.
We suggest that you resist the temptation to send ASCII pictures with your e-mail.